GAME NOTES: The Loyola Marymount Lions will close out a three-game homestand at Gersten Pavilion on Saturday night, as they take on the UC Irvine Anteaters in a non-conference bout.

UCI, one of the preseason favorites in the Big West Conference, started the season with two straight wins but dropped each of its first two of its current a three-game road swing. The tough trip began with a 71-54 loss at nationally- ranked Arizona on Nov. 19 and a 72-69 setback at Saint Mary's on Sunday.

LMU is currently riding a two-game winning streak, which has surged it above .500 at 3-2. The Lions played another Big West squad on Wednesday night, defeating UC Riverside, 66-62.

After 21 all-time meetings between the programs, LMU holds to the slimmest of leads, 11-10, which includes an 87-80 victory in the most recent meeting in December of 2010.

In a game that consisted of 14 ties and 20 lead changes, UCI grabbed hold of a one-point lead over Saint Mary's with 1:16 left on a Mamadou N'Diaye dunk, but those would be its last points of the game as SMC made 4-of-4 at the foul line in the final 16 seconds to capture the victory. UCI shot a solid 43.6 percent from the field in the nail-biter but was ultimately done in by losing the rebounding battle, 37-30, and getting outscored in the paint, 38-28. Luke Nelson poured in a team-best 19 points while also finding time to hand out six assists. N'Diaye tallied 14 points and seven rebounds, and Alex Young and Travis Souza scored 13 and 12, respectively.

On the season, the Anteaters outshoot their opponents by a large margin, 48.8 percent to 35 percent, while scoring 69.5 ppg and allowing just 57.2 ppg. Nelson is involved in many of the team's scoring plays with 13.8 ppg and 4.5 apg. Young (10.5 ppg) is the only other player in double figures, but six others put up at least 4.8 ppg.

The Lions had their hands full with UCR earlier in the week and even faced a 13-point deficit late in the first half, but they pieced together a 33-11 run that lasted well into the second stanza to grab control of the contest and held on down the stretch for the four-point win. Although the Lions shot a modest 42.9 percent from the field and committed a game-high 23 turnovers, they ultimately held on for the win thanks to an outstanding 26-of-30 showing at the free-throw line, with most of that production coming after halftime (19-of-22). Evan Payne was excellent from the stripe (15-of-16) on his way to a game-high 25 points. Matt Hayes knocked down 4-of-6 from 3-point range en route to 16 points off the bench and Ayodeji Egbeyemi added 11 points.

LMU scores nearly as many points (67.4 ppg) as it allows (66.6 ppg) this season, and its turnover problem (-2.4 margin) has become an unfortunate trend, but its free-throw production (.767) helps make up for those miscues. Payne ranks in the top-20 nationally in scoring with 21.4 ppg. Hayes, Egbeyemi and Marin Mornar all chip in between 9.7 and 8.4 ppg.

UCI will be anxious to get this tough road trip over with, and while LMU may not be as intimidating as Arizona or Saint Mary's, it is still a quality team on its home floor. It should be tight throughout, but expect the Anteaters to get back in the win column.